Calling Bobzilla... Sedona vs. Caravan

Your love for most things Kia is appreciated. Do you have anything to offer in an early 2000's Sedona vs. Caravan battle?

And there's so much info from the rest of you guys, please add to the discussion!

Early Sedonas are certainly better for boosting up past 500hp due to their cribbed 3000gt engine design.

And also infinitely worse to do timing belts on for the same reason vs the mostly-chains caravans.

So helpful!

I think the early Sedonas are kind of half-ass. They're at once smaller than a caravan but still overweight, fitted with a very capable engine but not fast, harder to work on and have more expensive parts vs a dodge. They also dont seem to hold up as well on the inside.

I like the later 3.8L ones much more. In the early 2000s range i'd go with a caravan.

In reply to Vigo:

Hmmmm, I would've thought opposite for a few things you listed such as parts cost and ease of maintanence.

I know they're heavy and not a fuel sipper but read they have a great safely rating and are built like a tank I believe I read from the resident Kia expert!

Thanks for your input Vigo!

The timing chain in the Chrysler engines is a selling point for me. Unless a belt change is easier than I'd imagine on a Sedona.

I worked for a Kia dealer back when the Sedona first came out, moved on to different brands soon after. My take away from that era: competent people mover but Kia was still struggling with supplier and initial quality issues. I do remember upper strut bearings failing very early on. The rest of it, Bobzilla will need to answer.

Caravans of that era still had the spun sugar transmission. Not sure if having a timing chain instead of a belt made up for that. They also have weird electrical problems.

ebonyandivory wrote: The timing chain in the Chrysler engines is a selling point for me. Unless a belt change is easier than I'd imagine on a Sedona.

My sister attempted the timing belt on her 04 Sedona with no previous timing belt experience. She did most of it on her own. I did help her install the new belt and line up the marks, but otherwise she did the rest.

She had many other issues though, bad coils, oil pan rusted enough to be porous, rear heater lines rusted through, clogged PS cooler, and finally a progressively increasing top end knock that prompted retirement.

I did research before buying a 2010 Sedona and found that the redesign in 2006 and quality improvements addressed many of the complaints about the earlier ones. I have 50k miles on a 2010 and no issues so far.

I'd go for a 2006 or newer Kia, or the caravan if going older.

Pentastar is awesome. I've said that many times before. I love mine.

So far, I've been surprised at how trouble free my '08 GCaravan has been. I've had it about a year and have put about 30K miles on it. Currently at 106K. I replaced the brakes a couple of weeks ago, but otherwise it's just gotten oil changes. I should probably replace the plugs before the winter. I do wish the OHV 3.3 had a bit more power and overall the van is still too small for my future needs, but as a basic appliance vehicle, I can't complain. The Sto-n-Go seats are the bomb.

I'm somewhat reluctantly concluding that I, as well as the wife (she's got an '09 Caravan) need a minivan.

The deal is I'll have about $3,000 for a vehicle that needs to carry the three kids.

She's mentioned she doesn't want me to drive something that'll make me miserable. There'd just not a lot of 3-rear-shoulder belts vehicles out there for that kind on money.

I bet that $3K would get you into a Volvo 850 or V70 wagon that would have 3 rear shoulder belts.

If you go the Sedona route, stick with '04 and up. Ours was completely trouble-free for 8 years, and as far as I know, its new owner (my sister-in-law) hasn't had any problems with it either. Our new '12 model has also been trouble-free.

In reply to NGTD:

Keep talking... Do they really?

I would go for the Caravan. I currently have a 94 with over 231k original engine and trans.

I have a collection of Caravans.... Love them all.. the 14 with the pentastar is awesome..

Forget about the Kia.

In reply to ebonyandivory:

From Wikipedia: "All U.S. 850s received standard equipment such as dual front airbags, anti-lock braking system, head restraints and three-point seat belts for all passengers"

Pentastar is awesome. I've said that many times before. I love mine.

I fully agree with you but i want to add that the 2nd gen 3.5 and 3.8 Sedonas are suprisingly spunky.

In fact, The Sedona got a ~280hp engine the same year the dodge vans did.

This is the slower 240hp 3.8 with less gears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPtxkqqH6J4